Rethinking Concepts and Categories for Understanding the Neurodevelopmental Effects of Childhood Adversity

• Published in: Perspectives on psychological science Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 67 - 93
• Main Authors: Smith, Karen E., Pollak, Seth D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2021; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adverse childhood experiences; Adverse Childhood Experiences - psychology; Adversity; Child; Child Behavior; Child Development; Childhood; Health behavior; Human development; Humans; Nervous System - growth & development; Neurobiology; Social development; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Understanding; child maltreatment; adversity; early-life stress; stress neurobiology
• ISSN: 1745-6916; 1745-6924; 1745-6924
• DOI: 10.1177/1745691620920725

Discovering the processes through which early adverse experiences affect children’s nervous-system development, health, and behavior is critically important for developing effective interventions. However, advances in our understanding of these processes have been constrained by conceptualizations that rely on categories of adversity that are overlapping, have vague boundaries, and lack consistent biological evidence. Here, we discuss central problems in understanding the link between early-life adversity and children’s brain development. We conclude by suggesting alternative formulations that hold promise for advancing knowledge about the neurobiological mechanisms through which adversity affects human development.